Integrated Care Training Program

Community-based,
care coordination
for
improving the
health
and
well-being
of
North Carolinians.

Vincent has provided supervision for Carolinas Health Care System and the IPTP since January of 2012 with a focus on the development of the therapist in a calm and supportive environment that encourages self-disclosure and personal development.

Vincent has provided therapy to individuals and families since 2005 and is the owner and operator of Calm Seas Family Services, PLLC, a private practice serving people of south eastern Charlotte. Vincent’s passions include parent-child relationships, adolescent maladaptive behaviors, marriages, and individuals looking for a better life. He also does a great deal of work for several employment assistance programs.

Vincent received his education at the University of Minnesota with a B.A. in psychology and a M.A. in Counseling and Psychological Services from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota as well as a post-masters degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. Vincent received his North Carolina Marriage and Family Therapy License in 2012 and is an AAMFT approved supervisor since 2014.

With the IPTP, Vincent hopes to create a supportive, yet challenging environment to spur growth of the therapist while being fully supported. Vincent has happily developed long-term relationships with many of the students of the program and continues collaborations with them post graduation from the program.

Program Overview

In 2012, CHS’s Patient Experience Department partnered with Community Care Partners of Greater Mecklenburg (CCPGM) to foster the placement of student interns at medical practices with high percentages of Medicaid and uninsured patients with unmet behavioral health needs. In line with emerging and best practices, CCPGM is committed to fostering the integration of primary care and behavioral health services within patient-centered medical homes to comprehensively meet the whole-person healthcare needs of Medicaid recipients.

ICTP originated under the leadership of Reverend David Carl, and Dr. James Pruitt, and was originally titled, Integrated Pastoral Psychotherapy Training Program (IPPTP).As IPPTP developed, its focus expanded to include other disciplines. To align more with primary care integration, it eventually became the Integrative Psychotherapy Training Program.

Healthcare reform necessitates integration of services and coordination of care within patient-centric, comprehensive health homes. Research suggests that interdisciplinary care models, addressing the comprehensive needs of patients, ultimately improve access and quality, and lower healthcare costs. Moreover, patients are more apt to report behavioral health issues to their primary care physicians, half of all care for management of behavioral health issues occurs in the primary care setting (Alexander & Wilson 2010), and 90% of behavioral health presenting issues can be effectively managed within the primary care setting (Manderscheid & Kathol, 2014). Integrated care, a “bio-psychosocial approach to care planning and service delivery” (Crosby, Dickens & Lancaster, 2012), greatly enhances the transition to a patient-centered medical home or similar structure of care.To align with healthcare reform and best practice, in 2016, IPTP was renamed the Integrated Care Training Program (ICTP).

Community Care Partners of Greater Mecklenburg in collaboration with graduate programs in counseling, marriage and family, health psychology and social work offer internships for minimum of nine months.

Mental health graduate students (interns) working toward completing requirements of 750 hours of clinical practice, provide individual, group, and family therapeutic services under the supervision of licensed mental health professionals. Interns may participate in medical appointments with physician providers at specified sites. Each of the participating university graduate programs are accredited through the appropriate governing body.

Behavioral health integration internship is holistic, combining perspectives of medicine, psychotherapy, psychopathology, resiliency, trauma, human growth and development, relationships, sexuality, family, play therapy, and spirituality. Participants will learn and practice interventions aimed to improve function in areas such as school and work responsibilities, improving sleep, decreasing pain, reducing anxiety, improving mood, improving exercise and nutrition, symptom reduction, and functional improvement—with self-regulation such as deep breathing, relaxation, sleep hygiene, problem solving, and assertive communication (McDaniel, et al., 2014). In addition to weekly clinical supervision, interns train at monthly held peer-meeting; a combination of group process and didactic. Peer meeting curriculum is based on Primary Care Behavioral Health program designed by Dr. Alexander Blount at University of Massachusetts. The central tenet of ICTP is delivering effective and high quality primary care behavioral health services collaboratively with medical providers, patients and families.

Post-graduate students who already have completed a psychotherapy internship and are pursuing licenses, certifications, or multiple credentials simultaneously may apply for Integrated Care Training Program residency. A residency placement is a minimum of nine months with two days per week in clinic. Residents have supervision provided free-of-charge in exchange for unpaid clinical services that fulfill hours towards licensure.